


Price of Betrayal

by DaughterofEve3



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Book/Movie: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Gen, what if
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-07-24 01:33:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16170881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaughterofEve3/pseuds/DaughterofEve3
Summary: what would have happened if Tumnus had handed Lucy over to the Witch?





	1. The Agreement

Once there was an enchanted land called Narnia where the Dryads, Nymphs, and Fauns would dance on long summer nights. Where Dwarf and talking beast would feast at harvest and be merry, while the centaurs read the night sky and Son's of Adam or Daughter's of Eve sat at Cair Paravel and ruled the land with kindness and justice under the great lion himself. The fields were green, the regular tree swayed gently in the warmth as Narnia’s Great river sparkled in the sunlight. Narnia was a lovely and magical place where its creatures and humans lived in peace since the day tke world began.

At least that was Narnia. Now Jadis, or you may know her as the white witch, took position of the land and cast it into never ending winter. She rid the land of all its festivals and holidays, causing the Narnians to spend their time in their home where to keep warm by the fire. For the queen forbade any dancing in the snow, and there were no feasts since not much grows in winter. Instead, Jadis preferred that her subjects spend their time serving her and being miserable, rather than have any kind of joy in what she called "her" land.

You can see this Narnia was not a place you would want to spend your holiday in, and most of the Narnians would rather have become dumb beasts than spend another day treading snow in their feet, paws and hooves in the snow. Others Narnians, such as black dwarfs, werewolves, minotaurs, and nasty centaurs who like to pick on animals smaller than themselves. Those Narnians didn't mind the cold and praised Jadis as their true Queen, gladly willing to die serving her. Still other Narnians, like the Beavers, Centaurs, and others, hope for a deliverance from Jadis's wrath.

I could go on and on about the different Narnians and how they fair during the long winter, but you might find it rather dull to hear about. It's much better to hear this story: one about a pretrial Narnian who would have huge role in one of the greatest events in Narnia's history. This Narnian is none other than a Faun named Tumnus.

Our story begins when Tumnus was being lead to the Witch's throne room by one of the wolves of Jadis's secret police. He screams as he's thrown at the paws of Maugrim, captain of the secret police. Tumnus tried to lift himself only to see the feet of witch, and quickly put his head down in fear, for any criminal who enters her house never came out.  
"The Faun, your majesty, was caught playing a flute in the western woods," Maugrim said, and Tumnus felt his heart racing faster with the wolf's growl.

"Please, your majesty, the snow wouldn't stop falling; I took shelter in a small cave and I was only playing until the storm passed."

"Silence, Faun," the witch shouted, causing Tumnus to freeze in place. "You know my laws, and I'm sure you're aware what happens when someone breaks them," she adds, twirling wand in hand. Tumnus looked at the stone statues at the back of the throne room as she spoke, but moved back when he heard the wolf's growling behind him.  
"Your majesty, I promise do anything you ask of me," he pleaded as she moved closer.

"And what could you have to offer that has any use to me?" she asked coldly in response, Tumnus still frozen in his spot.

"I…I… could inform you of any suspicious activity in the Western Woods or Lantern Waste," he told her, feeling his hands shake in fright for what the witch might do to him.

"Lantern Waste? What do you know of that place?" the witch asked as she stood in front of him.

"I pass it whenever I'm coming home from the market; it is not far from my cave," Tumnus said quickly and desperately, wanting to get out of her castle alive—he would say anything to be back in his cave where he could play his flute in peace, relax beside his fireplace and not think about the long winter or the witch's reign.

The Witch stopped twirling her wand and looked down at the pleading faun at her feet. She didn't think much of the faun and would have turned him to stone right then rather than hearing his pathetic cries, but then again one could never know what may wander into the woods.

"Maybe you can be of some use after all," she said, and Tumnus smiled while letting out a sigh of relief. "I'll let you be my informant," she adds. Tumnus' eyes widened at her words, and his heart beat rapidly. "But, more importantly, I need you to be my look out for any young Sons of Adam or Daughters of Eve,"

"Humans?" Tumnus said in confusion. "Your majesty, there haven't been humans in Narnia for almost a hundred years, I haven't even see one in my lifetime," he tells the witch, almost laughing at the thought, for Tumnus wasn't even sure if there were humans.

"And you will make sure no human children come without my knowing, and if you do find a Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve, you will bring them to me. But, if you fail to bring them to me, I will not show you any mercy," she added coldly. Tumnus looked once more at her wand and then at the stone statues. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to disappoint me."

"No, your majesty, I'll do just as you requested," Tumnus said, though he cringed at the thought of working with the White Witch, though at least he was certain it was unlikely he would ever find a human child.

"Good. You won't forget what you own me Faun, and you know what happens if you go back on our agreement." Tumnus swallowed his fear at that last word as she then turned to Maugrim. "Show our guest out," she said before returning to her throne as Maugrim grabbed Tumnus and dragged him out of the Witch's house.

_Years Later…_

Tumnus walks toward Lantern Waste with umbrella in one hand and some food and wine wrapped in paper tucked into the other. He had had a long day of doing errands and he was really looking forward to returning to his cave and playing his flute in front of a roaring fire; thinking of the old days before the Witch came and winter was only a season. The summer night dances with the other fauns, Dryads, and Nymphs, when the air was warm, the grass was green, and he wouldn't be in the service of the White Witch.

He still cringes at the thought that he agreed to do anything for her, but at least his job was something that won't come up, for there were no humans in Narnia. Although, before the Witch took over, Sons and Daughters of Adam and Eve were the ones who ruled the land, but the witch killed them and the others humans had run off to Archenland, the Lone Islands, or some even to Calormen. None of them would go near Narnia. Tumnus wasn't even sure if those countries were still there, for Narnia had been isolated from the rest of the world for a hundred years and he knew the Witch's reign wasn't going to end anytime soon, if at all. So, Tumnus was certain he would never find a human child in the woods.

"Ahh!"

He heard a scream as he came to the Lamppost, causing him to drop all his packages and hide behind the nearest tree. Tumnus looked over to the Lamppost, only to see a strange creature with short fair hair, a button nose and odd clothing. He thought it might be a female dwarf, but he would soon find out she was, in fact, a Daughter of Eve.


	2. Chapter 2

Tumnus stared at her for a while, watching as she came slowly towards him and picked up one of his packages. Tumnus came closer to her, unsure of what to say to the strange creature; in fact he wasn't sure it could even talk, he only knew that it was female.

"Here," she said, handing him the wrapped box of food.

"Thank you, thank you, I can be rather clumsy at times," Tumnus said with a smile, taking the package and seeing that her smile was rather nice and sincere.  _So, she must not be anything dangerous,_  he told himself as he picked up the rest of his packages. 

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you?" she asked, looking at him with young eyes, that seemed to sparkle as she watched him pick up the rest of the packages.

"Well, I'm a Faun," Tumnus explained with a grin, seeing that she too was just as unfamiliar with him as he was with her. "And what about you? You must be some kind of beardless dwarf or Nymph," he stated, causing the young creature to giggle.

"No, of course not, I'm a girl!" she exclaimed, and Tumnus looked at her harder.  _A girl, could she be?_ he asked himself, studying her face and hands. It had to be true; she looked a little too tall for a dwarf, but far too small to be a giant, and she didn't look like a Nymph, or any kind of centaur he had ever seen.

"Is it possible that you're a Daughter of Eve?" he asked as his hands shook, and he tried to hide his fear.

"My mum's name is Helen," she said, seeming a bit confused by his choice of words.

"What I mean is, are you…human?" He let the last word out in hesitation, unsure if he wanted to know the truth.

"Of course, I'm human." She looked even more puzzled then before, as Tumnus continued to stare at her.  _A human, an actual human!_   he tells himself, for mere minutes ago he thought humans were nothing but a lost memory of Narnia. With short fair hair, a friendly face and odd clothing, she wasn't like anything he had ever seen before.  _A human, a real breathing…_

 _I need you to be my look out for any young Sons of Adam or Daughters of Eve._  

The witch's voice echoed through his mind, interrupting his thoughts and causing him to remember his Queen's orders. Still staring at the girl, Tumnus could hear the wolves growling in his ears as the witch twirled the wand in her hand and demanded the promise he had made.

"Yes, yes of course, pardon me. I've just never seen a human before," Tumnus smiled. "How did you get here?"

"Well, my siblings and I were playing hide and seek, when I found this wardrobe in the spare room."

"Spare Oom? Is that in Narnia?" Tumnus interrupted.

"Narnia? What is that?"

"Well, dear girl, it's where we are now! Everything that lies between the lamp post all the way to the great castle of Cair Paravel on the Eastern Sea, every stick and stone you see, every icicle, is Narnia," Tumnus said while the girl stood in awe at the world around her. The way she looked at the snow-covered trees, you wouldn't think she was staring at a frozen waste land, but instead seeing a magical forest full of joy and magnificent beauty; one that would make you want to sing and dance for hours without stopping. Tumnus found himself smiling, for he had not seen anyone look upon Narnia with this much joy in years. And for a moment, the land didn't seem so cold.

 _You won't forget what you owe me, Faun._  

His smile faded, and he swallowed the memory of the cursed agreement he had made. Narnia was not a great land, but a cursed one where the White Witch reigned and every Narnian was made to obey her cruel laws that kept most Narnians behind closed doors. Tumnus had it worst, for he was forced into the Witch's service to fulfill her demand:

_If you do find a Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve, you will bring them to me._

Tumnus watched the girl who was still admiring the snow-covered trees.  _Maybe once I have taken this girl to the White Witch, I won't owe her anything anymore,_  he told himself as he decided right then to invite the girl to his home; he would lull her to sleep before taking her to the Witch. It seemed simple enough, and even better, afterwards he could go back to his normal routine of sitting by the fire and forgetting all about the Witch's never-ending winter.

"Now, allow me to introduce myself: my name is Tumnus," he said to the girl, giving her a little bow and himself a mischievous smile.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr. Tumnus. I'm Lucy Pevensie," she replied, holding out her hand to him, which puzzled Tumnus. "Oh, you shake it," she explained.

"Why?" Tumnus asked, for of course Lucy didn't know that customs of greeting each other in the world of Spare Oom hadn't been used in Narnia for a hundred years.

"I don't know, friends do it when they meet each other," she said, still holding her hand out, and after a moment of just standing in silence, Tumnus grabbed the tips of Lucy's fingers to shake them. Soon he was gently swaying her arm back and forth, causing both of them to laugh together. You would think they had just become best friends, though that it was more true for Lucy then Tumnus, for he still wanted to go through with his plan.

"Well, Lucy Pevensie from the wonderous city of War Drobe in the glorious land of Spare Oom, how would it be if you came and had tea with me?" he asked, for surely, he had gained her trust.

"Thank you very much, but I probably should go back," Lucy said, looking to the Western Wood.

"But it's only just around the corner," he said quickly, causing Lucy a little confusion, but he had to get her to come—he had to end the tie he had to the Witch. "And there'll be a roaring fire, and sardines, and cake."

"I don't know, my brother has probably found the others by now," she replied nervously.

"You must come, it's not every day I make a new friend," he smiled while Lucy stood there for a moment, still looking back towards the Western Woods.

"Well…I guess it will be alright, if I came for a little while," she finally said before grabbing hold of his arm. Tumnus smiled as his plan was being set into action; soon all his dealings with the Witch would be over.

They walked through the snowy woods, arms linked under Tumnus's umbrella, smiling and laughing together the whole way to his home. If you had seen them you would have thought, they had been friends all their life. Truly they enjoyed each other's company so much so that Lucy almost forgot what she had been doing before coming into Narnia and was caught up in the new world around her; she especially liked watching the snow falling to the ground. Tumnus looked at her as she reached to catch a snowflake in her hand, spun, and giggled. Tumnus couldn't help but laugh along with her. How long had it been since he had felt this much joy?

"Narnia must be lovely in the spring time," Lucy remarked, looking at the snow falling from the sky.

_If you fail to bring them to me, I will not show you any mercy._

"Yes," Tumnus agreed firmly, referring to the command echoing in his head, while Lucy watched him in confusion. "It's very lovely in the spring," he added quickly, when realizing he had spoken aloud. The rest of the journey was spent in silence as Lucy took in as much of the Narnian air as she could. Meanwhile, the Witch's order continued to ring in Tumnus head.

"Here we are; be careful of the last step, it can be a little hard to see," Tumnus cautioned Lucy as he lead her into his home. Once they were both inside, Lucy looked around his cave with the same manner she had the out. It was as though she wanted to know every inch of cave, looking at all the walls, running her finger over books on his shelves and picking up small objects with her hands.  _Lucy truly is a curious child,_ Tumnus mused, as she picked up a picture of an older faun and ran her fingers along the frame.

 

"Ah, now that is my father," Tumnus said proudly, wanting to ease a little of Lucy's curiosity; it been a long time since he had had someone over and though he had other friends, he didn't visit them that often.

"He has a nice face," Lucy said, still looking at the picture, and turned to Tumnus. "He looks a lot like you," she added as Tumnus looked away from her.

"I'm afraid I'm not much like him at all." He would had made any deal with Witch, Italicize. he told himself as he went to get the tea and toast ready.

"My father is fighting in a war," said Lucy as she gently put down the picture. Tumnus turned in time to see her tears, for she too had felt the pain of war, even at such a young age.

"My father went away to war," Tumnus said, causing Lucy to look at him with a smile, and they both stood silent for a moment. But, for the first time Tumnus had found someone he could just talk to, someone he—

_You won't forget what you own me, Faun._

Tumnus sighed. "But that was a long time ago," he remarked, before returning to set the table and prepare the food. After a little while, Lucy walked over to him.

"Why would there be any wars here?" she asked, as Tumnus turned to her and put the tea on the table.

"Well, hmmm…" Tumnus stopped for moment as did his heart. "I guess there are some things not even Narnia can escape from," he sighed and looked at Lucy. "But it doesn't happen often. Narnia was-is- a peaceful country, not much happens here," he said, pulling out a seat at the table for her to sit in. "But, that also means we just sit around at home. There were times when the red dwarf would have treasure hunts in the deep mines and caverns beneath the forest floor, and we would go on long hunting parties after the milk-white stag who would grand your wishes if you caught him."

Tumnus poured Lucy some tea and served her sardines on toast along with the cakes that she readily enjoyed while listening to her new friend tell all about Narnia. The more Tumnus told her, the more she wanted to know. "During the summer we fauns would dance with the Dryads all night, and you know, we never got tired. And music. Oh, such music." Tumnus smiled as memories of the old Narnia danced in his mind.

_You won't forget what you own me, Faun!_

He stopped and looked back at Lucy. "Would…would you like to hear some now?"

"Oh, yes please," Lucy exclaimed and Tumnus smiled, grabbing his reed flute from the top of his fireplace, immediately put his lips on his instrument. He started playing a beautiful song that would make anyone want to cry and laugh and dance and sleep all at the same time. It was a tune his mother would play when he was little, and it was his bed time. It was the song that told all about what Narnia was, and the way it was before they caught him and had brought him to the Witch.

He stopped playing as tears fell, wishing that winter had never come. He took a deep breath and turned, his eyes wide, to see Lucy's head laying in the corner of the chair. He watched her, and he knew his plan was working. All he to do now was take her to the witch. Tumnus took another deep breath, for he knew he would have to face her again.  _Do I really want Lucy to go to her?_ he asks himself.

_You know what happens if you go back on our agreement._

Her voice echoed in his mind along with images of her stone statues. With this reminder, he quietly goes to Lucy and takes her in his arms.  _Alright, now I just need to take her to the Witch's house and then I won't have anything to owe her,_ he told himself, before leaving his cave with Lucy.

Tumnus made his way through the snowy woods leading to the Witch's house. The only thing on his mind was the freedom he would have from her service once he turned in the human. He'd finally be able sit in the house by his fire and—

Lucy moved her head a little, causing Tumnus to stop and look down at her. She looked peaceful and happy even in her sleep. Tumnus smiled, remembering her face when she had looked at the winter wasteland, and how she had seen it like the beautiful land it used be hundred years ago. She was the sweetest girl Tumnus had ever met, and yet he was about to send her to a cruel witch.  _No, I can't do this. Not to this innocent child._

Tumnus turned back in the other direction, still carrying Lucy. He would go back to the lamp post. Tumnus smile for once he would put his cowardliness aside and take. He would- he stops when he heard a twig and froze as Maugrim walked out from behind the tree.

"Hello, Faun, it's late for you to be out," the wolf growled as Tumnus held Lucy a little tighter. "What do we have here?" he asked, now looking at Lucy.

"I found her in woods; I think she must be some kind of dwarf so I'm just taking her back to her clan," Tumnus said quickly, hoping the wolf would buy it and leave, but Maugrim wasn't the kind of wolf who would listen to a faun's lies so easily. To prove his point, the wolf bent to sniff Lucy's hair.

"It doesn't smell like a dwarf, I'd say she smells more like a human." Tumnus stood in silence, holding back his tears while Maugrim spoke. "You wouldn't be taking her out of this country, would you? You know what her Majesty will do if do you disobey her."

"Yes, I know, I was on my way to hand her over," Tumnus said softly, staring at Lucy in his arms. This was all his fault.  _Run, take her back to Spare Oom!_   he told himself, looking in the direction of the lamp post, but he knew he could never out run a wolf.

"I'll take the human."

"No, I should take her there myself," Tumnus insisted.

"Hand her over, Faun and I'll let you live," he growled. Tumnus took a deep breath and puts Lucy on the snow, which immediately woke her up. Lucy looked up sky, and her eyes grew wide at seeing how dark it was. She got up and went to Tumnus, still a bit sleepy. 

"Oh, Tumnus, I have to go. The others…" Lucy stopped, still not noticing Maugrim, and saw the tears in Tumnus's eyes. "Mr.Tumnus, what's going on? Why are you so upset?" Lucy asked him as she held out her handkerchief in her hands.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy Pevensie," Tumnus replied, taking the handkerchief as he felt  guilt come over him.

"For what?" she asked as watches the tears fall from her friends eyes. “Mr. Tumnus why…”

"Come with me, Human, my Queen is waiting to see you," Maugrim said, causing Lucy to jump and reach for hold of Tumnus hand. But before she could grab it, the wolf ran up and snatched Lucy, who promptly screamed as he dragged her away.

"LUCY!" Tumnus cried, clutching her handkerchief as he looked down at it. Eventually, he found the courage to look up again at Maugrim dragging Lucy away, but when he did, all he saw was snow.


	3. Chapter 3

"Lucy!" Tumnus cried, snow falling as he walked through the woods, still clutching Lucy's handkerchief in his hand. Tumnus faced the direction Maugrim took Lucy, but all he saw for miles and miles was the too thick falling snow, and there was no sign of the wolf or the girl. "Lucy," he called for her again. 

Tumnus suddenly tripped and fell into the snow, but instead of getting up, he sat up and looked at her handkerchief. "Lucy," he said, while continuing to cry in the freezing snow. _No, I have to keep going._ He got back up and again tried to make his way through the thick snow, only to find himself face first in it once more. He tried to get up again, but it was no use, all he could do was sit there in the woods, looking at the handkerchief in his hand.

"Are you alright, mate?" Tumnus lefts his head at sound of a friendly voice, and see a finger coming toward him. "Tumnus? What are you doing here?" the creature said, but Tumnus was too busy imagining Maugrim dragging Lucy though snow

"Lu…Lucy," Tumnus stammered, getting up once again. "I have to save her," he said, as the wind caused him to fall against a tree. He felt a paw on his shoulder and saw that the creature that had come to him was a He-Beaver who lived a few miles from his cave, and not too far from the Witch's house either.

"Easy, mate, it's not safe here. Best we go to safer quarters," Beaver said before taking off towards the end of the forest.

Tumnus nodded and followed Beaver. As they walked, Tumnus would constantly look towards the Witch's house, remembering the little girl's smile when he first met her at the lamppost. All he could hear were her screams as Maugrim dragged her away.

"Come on, Tumnus, no sense in standing out here," Beaver said, causing Tumnus to turn to his friend and see that they were coming to a small wooden dam near a frozen lake.

"Beaver! What on earth are you…Tumnus dear, are you alright?"

Beaver's wife said, greeting them as they came into the small home. Mrs. Beaver went to get Tumnus a cup of tea as he sat down at their small table and continued to stare at the handkerchief.  _Lucy, how could I let him take you?_ he asked himself, feeling tears on his cheeks.

Beaver observed his friend intently for a few moments. "Now, Tumnus, what were you doing out there at this time of night?" he asked calmly. 

Tumnus looked down at the handkerchief and let out another sob. He couldn't bring his head up to meet either of the Beaver's eyes; he wasn't sure if he could face anyone. He took a deep breath. "I've done something terrible," he told them. In response, the Beavers sat there and tried to offer him comfort, but Tumnus wasn't sure they would still be so kind to him if they knew. "I..I—" he continued to cry into Lucy's handkerchief.

"Now, now, dear, there's no need to cry," Mrs. Beaver said, trying to ease his pain. "The Lion will forgive all, just as we do," she added, while Tumnus sighed at her words. For though he found them comforting he, could still hear Lucy's screams. She is probably at the Witch's house by now, she might not even be…he told himself, picturing a new statue in the Witch's courtyard.

"I'm not so sure I can be forgiven. If the Lion were here, He would probably eat me alive once He found out," he muttered. He looked back at the Beavers, though both still seemed certain for his well-being. "I…I've found a Daughter of Eve in Lantern Waste." The Beavers stood up at the mention of the human as though they had learned it was a holiday.

"A human child here!" Mrs. Beaver said as her face lit up.

"Oh, to think this day has finally come, it won't be long before Aslan returns and that Witch will be no more," Mr. Beaver said in as much excitement as his wife. (Like I said before, Narnia hadn't seen humans since before the Witch took over, and they had high hopes for deliverance from the cold nights.) But Tumnus just turned from them, still feeling his tears on his cheeks.  _How can I tell them?_  

"Tumnus," Mr. Beaver said, seeing the disappointment in his friend's eyes. "Where is the child now?" 

"I let Maugrim took her," Tumnus replied after taking a deep breath. The Beavers stayed silent and their faces dropped to the ground as Tumnus went on to tell them all about his deal with the Witch and his meeting with Lucy and how he had lulled her to sleep.

The Beavers listened to his every word and felt for the little girl and Tumnus. Although they had every reason to throw him out, the thing about Narnian beasts is that they can sense the feeling of others. Similarly, in this instance, the Beavers could understand how upset their friend was.

"He told me to hand her over and…" Tumnus stopped and let his tears fall. "I would do anything to save her," he added before all three of them continued to sit in silence forever.

"Tumnus, you know you can't rush into the White Witch's gates, unless you want to be a part of her garden of statues," Mr. Beaver remarked.

"I know, but we have to do something to save Lucy from meeting a similar fate," Tumnus agreed, though he wasn't angry with the Beavers or anything of that sort, since he was truly only angry with himself. "It would have been a better fate for myself then for her," he cried into the handkerchief.

"We can't change what has happened, but not all hope is lost," Mrs. Beaver said, trying to comfort the faun.

"Oh, there is more hope than you think: The Daughter of Eve is just the beginning. Aslan could be on the move as we speak; it won't be long now before the four thrones are filled," Mr. Beaver exclaimed in excitement. Tumnus looked over at him, and when he heard the name Aslan, felt more guilt then before. It was as though he had eaten something that made him ill and he had only felt more ill at hearing about the thrones.

"You're saying that Lucy Pevensie is part of the prophecy of the four thrones?" Tumnus asked as his heart began to race.

"Why else would the Witch want you to bring the child to her? And you said you found the girl in Lantern Waste, which is the place the centaurs said they would come. Not to mention she is the first human Narnia has seen in a hundred years!" Mr. Beaver said with as much excitement as if he was a child on Christmas day, though you couldn't blame him after living with the Witch's winter for so long.

"But the witch has Lucy, how can there be any hope if only three of those thrones are filled?" Tumnus stated, although he still was unsure about Lucy being part of the old prophecy, he wasn't sure if it was even true.

"Well, there are four thrones at Cair Paravel, and the prophecy calls for two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve.  Lucy would be one Daughter of Eve, which means that there are three other human children out there," Mrs. Beaver answered him cheerfully.

"And as long as the White Witch doesn't have the other three, she'll keep the girl alive," Mr. Beaver said, echoing his wife's statement.

"How can you be so sure she'll keep Lucy alive?" Tumnus asked as he sat there listening to the two Beavers.

"Because the Witch will do anything to stop the prophecy and she'll try to use the girl as bait to lure the other three into her castle. Or worse, she'll try to get the girl to tell her where the other children are and send the secret police after them. It's best we find them before she does," Mr. Beaver said firmly, aware that it is best to know as much as you can about the enemy because it is a good way to learn how to defeat them.

Every comment the Beavers made seemed to be more and more frightening, yet at the same time he was almost getting excited himself. Maybe it was possible that Lucy was part of something bigger, "But where would we find the other three if they're not even out there," Tumnus questioned. 

"We can start with the Lantern Waste where you met Lucy. Maybe it will help us figure out where to find the other children," Mrs. Beaver said as Tumnus put his hand on one of his horns, trying to think back to earlier that day.  _Where was it Lucy said she was from?_   he asked himself, hoping an answer would come to him.

" _Well, my siblings and I were playing hide and seek, when I found this wardrobe in the spare room."_  

Lucy words ran through Tumnus mind as he looked up at the Beavers. "Spare Oom!" he exclaimed, causing the Beavers to give him confused looks and turn to each other to see if the other knew what Spare Oom was. "That's where Lucy said she was from. And she also mentioned a game she was playing with her siblings—if there are three and two of them are Sons of Adam and the other a Daughter of Eve…"

"Then you'll go to them at once and we'll keep them hidden, until Aslan comes back. Then we will take them to Aslan; He'll lead the rescue of the Daughter of Eve, defeat the White Witch, and crown the new Kings and Queens!" said Mr. Beaver cheerfully.

"And peace will finally be restored to Narnia," Mrs. Beaver finished his statement.

What happened next was momentary celebration as they cheered and danced and drank to welcome a new coming age the Children would bring to their land. "Alright now, Tumnus, you'll rest here for the night and we will help you prepare for your journey in the morning," she added after they were done celebrating.

"Thank you, Mrs. Beaver and you, Mr. Beaver. I'll be sure to bring them back here, within the week," Tumnus assured them before the Beavers gave him a cot to sleep on and told him to get some rest for the journey. Tumnus once again looked at the handkerchief before resting his head on the pillow.  _Don't worry, Lucy Pevensie, you will be safe soon,_ he thought to himself before drifting off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucy had never been so afraid, as she was being dragged by the wolf through the cold land of Narnia. She could feel the wolf's fangs clutched onto her forearm. Lucy would have continued screaming if his running didn't cause the snow to fly into her mouth and eyes, which made her want to close both.

But the wolf was going so fast that Lucy didn't have time to keep the snow out of her mouth and she wanted to see what was happening around her. Although, at the speed the wolf was running, she didn't get a chance to see anything but snow as it hit her face. It was like going sledding on a steep hill without a sled.

"Aah!" Lucy yelled as he threw her to the ground. Lucy started crying as she took hold of her forearm, feeling a little blood though the sleeve of the sweater she was wearing, which had kept her arm safe from becoming seriously injured, but did not keep her arm from aching so much that she did not notice her wet clothes or the numbness of her left leg.

"Get up!" she heard the wolf order. Lucy looked up at him, and slowly started to get up, staring as the wolf began to trot behind her. "Start walking." Lucy did as she was told, unsure of what the wolf might do if she didn't. After all, she had heard a lot of fairy tales and wolves were never kind creatures.

Lucy kept walking forward to the doors of the castle that looked like they were made of ice, though it was so dark Lucy could hardly tell. She could only see the shape of the doors and they didn't seem welcoming. Even when the doors opened, it still gave Lucy chills as though she were walking into a haunted house.

However, what Lucy found next made her both amazed and frightened all at once. Right after she walked through the castle gates, she came to a courtyard filled with statues of stone and Lucy was in awe at how live-like the statues were. She could see all the details in every statue, and Lucy almost expected them to come to life at any moment. Lucy would have wanted to take a closer look at their faces if they didn't make her want to run; every one of their faces either looked angry or in pain, almost as though they were crying out for someone to set them free. Lucy froze in place looking at them, wondering who they might be calling out for.

"Keep moving!" the wolf growled, causing Lucy to jump, before she continued walking toward the castle and into the throne room. Lucy looked around at the cold wall, ice columns, and a few more statues that made up the room. The girl saw that it was nothing like Tumnus's house, which was filled with books, pictures, and other things that showed the life of the faun who lived in it. But this castle didn't have any life at all with the icy walls and stone statues that looked like they were in pain.  _Why is it so empty?_   Lucy asked herself as they walked to a throne made of ice where two wolves stood.

"Wait here," the wolf told her, before departing from the room and leaving her with the other growling wolves.

She just stood there and looked through the door to the outside of the cold and empty castle, which seemed strange to her. In a lot of the fairy tales she knew, the castles were filled with banners, lovely furniture, and suits of armor, just like the Professor's house (the place her and her siblings were staying.)

Lucy looked at her hurt arm, and then back at the door, wanting to run out the door and back though the wardrobe to the Professor's house. But the wolves wouldn't let her leave the castle and even if she could leave, she didn't know where she was or how to get back.  _The others will be looking for me,_ she told herself, picturing her siblings searching for her. Maybe the Professor, his maids, and even the mean house keeper were searching for her, but no one would find her here, and they'd write her mother and she'd worry that something had happened to her.

Lucy started sobbing.  _I have to go back, I didn't mean to stay away this long!_   she cried, not noticing the tall finger come into the room until she turned. She gasped as she saw a tall woman in a long white dress and a crown on her head. The woman with very white skin made Lucy take a step back only to find two dwarfs with nasty faces behind her. But they were not as frightening as the woman in front of her. Lucy was sure she was a ghost.

What Lucy didn't know, was that the woman was the witch that had made herself Queen. She looked at the frightened little girl for a while. She wasn't impressed with the little girl and was angry that she was in "her" land, but you couldn't tell this with her cold face. "Are you the Daughter of Eve?" the woman asked.

Lucy stayed silent, staring at the woman who reminded her of an evil queen in one of those fairy tales she loved so much. She didn't have a friendly face like Tumnus.  _Oh, Tumnus I hope he's alright,_ she wondered, remembering how he was crying as she was dragged away.

"I see you're not very intelligent, now tell me, are you human?" she asked firmly, almost sounding angry to Lucy's ears.

"Yes," Lucy answered softly, still wanting to run away.

"How did you come to enter my dominion?" she questioned harshly as Lucy rubbed her arm.

"I found it in a wardrobe," Lucy said as the queen stood there in front of her. Lucy thought that she wanted her to say more, but Lucy just stayed silent.

"Why child, you look so cold, come with me and I'll give something hot to drink," she said to Lucy's surprise, since the woman seemed bad in her mind.

"Oh, please let me go," Lucy blurted out. "I didn't mean to stay here this long, the others well be wondering where I am," she added.

"Others?" Jadis interrupted her. "Who are these others you speak of?" She seemed very intrigued by Lucy's words.

"They are my brothers and sister," Lucy answered, for she was very truthful, though telling the woman about her family, gave her a worse feeling than any lie would have given her.

"How many are you?"

"There are Four of us," Lucy said quietly, again wishing she had lied. She could see that the ghost-like woman seem to be interested in her siblings, but mostly she wanted to get away. "Please let go back to them."

"Why of course, I'll let you go, I wouldn't want your family to worry about you." Lucy was taken back by her words, but thrilled at the chance to go back to her siblings. "They must be a charming family, to have a sweet sister like you. I would be delighted to meet them," she added, and Lucy's eyes widened, listening to her words. "How about I let you go back to your family, then you will come back here with your brothers and sister, so I can have the pleasure of meeting such a noble family,"

"Why, do you want to meet my siblings?" Lucy asked as she felt her heart race at the thought of her meeting her family.

"Well, you see, I never had any children of my own and I always wanted a little you as my heir to take the throne once I'm gone. I know you would want your brothers and sister here to play with you," she told her.

Lucy was again taken back by the woman's words, and stood silent for a long time.  _A princess?_  Lucy wondered, still unsure if this woman was good at all. Although, she did think it would be fun to be a princess and run around Narnia and make friends with all the Narnians. She did love this world she had found, and would love it if her siblings could share in the joy of Narnia, but did she really want to be this "queen's" heir? Why would she be an heir, while her brothers and sister were not? It didn't seem fair in Lucy's eyes.

She couldn't be a child to the woman, and besides, she already had a mum. Lucy's mum would give her warm hugs and a caring smile, and she was a lot nicer than this queen.

"But, I already have a mother, and she is waiting at home," Lucy said with the little courage she had.

"Yes, but is she with you now?" the woman asked, and Lucy looked down at her hurt arm, remembering the tears in her mum's eyes as her and her siblings rolled off in a train to the Professor's house. "Would she offer you a chance to live in a beautiful land that would one day belong to you? And your brothers and sister, would they not be happier if they were here?" she added.

Lucy just held her arm, feeling tears fall down her cheeks. She thought about the frowns on her oldest brother's face since their father left for the war. How her sister just focused on her schooling and friends. How her other brother would tease and sometimes even bully her every chance he got. Maybe if he were here he could be nice to her again, maybe her older brother would laugh again, and her sister would play with her again.

"Would it not be grand if you could bring them here to see my beautiful winter? I can just see you and your family running in the snow," the Queen said with a very forced smile. Lucy looked up at her and pictured her and her siblings having snowball fights and making snow angels like they used to. For a moment, the queen didn't seem so bad as she thought.

"I can make that happen if you bring your brothers and sister to me," she said firmly.

Lucy turned from her and looked at the throne; it was still cold and empty, and the statue still looked like it was crying to be set free. The wolf who hurt her was still there, and why would he hurt her if his queen just wanted her as an heir?  _What about Mr. Tumnus?_   Lucy asked herself to remember how friendly he was and how nice his house was. Much nicer than the wolf or the dwarfs, and more welcoming than her.

"I don't think I should bring my sibling here," Lucy told her, causing the false queen to lost the forced smile.

"Then I'll give them a reason to come here." She turned to the dwarfs. "Show the human creature to where she'll be staying," she ordered, as Lucy felt something against her back and the dwarfs led her out and into the dungeons. "Maugrim! Go back to the Faun and see what he knows of the other children," Lucy heard as she was forced out.

  
The dwarfs took Lucy below the castles and she let out a scream as she was thrown into a cold prison. She cried for it was all she could do knowing that she may never again see her family or even the outside of a cell. She was alone.

 _"Fear not child, you will be rescued,"_ said a deep voice Lucy had never heard before but was strong and warm like her father or her oldest brother's. She stop crying and as she listened to the voice, no longer felt like she was alone.


	5. Chapter 5

In the morning Tumnus had eaten breakfast with the Beavers, before he left their dam and walked on towards Spare Oom (wherever that was). Of course, Mrs. Beaver made sure he had food for his journey, and Mr. Beaver went over the plan one last time before they sent him off.

Tumnus hiked though the snow while staying hidden among the shadows of trees he hoped weren't on the Witch's side. He made his way to Lantern Waste and stood under the lamp post with Lucy's handkerchief in hand and a bag of food on his side.

 _Now, Lucy was standing here, Spare Oom must be close by_. He stopped left of the lamp post and looked at the spot where Lucy once stood, glancing up at the woods around him as he scratched the back of his head.  _If only I had been better with geography when I younger, maybe I would know where to go from here now,_  he sighed. 

 _"Head West,"_  a deep voice told Tumnus, causing him to turn west and see a yellow-orange light within a cluster of trees. It also looked like there was a house in between the branches. Odd I don't remember any house there.

 He moved closer, still staring at the light in the trees as though he felt drawn to it somehow. He reached the trees where the light was coming, and he could see a door that was slightly open. Although, it was a little hard to tell if it was a door because of the strange branches that were hanging in front of it—or at least he thought they were branches. He reached through the pine trees to touch the strange branches only to feel some kind of bear and quickly pulled his hand out.

"Sorry, I didn't think…" he stopped as the bear's fur swayed slightly off the ground and didn't make any other noise. He stepped closer and grabbed at what he thought was a bear and found it to be hollow. The faun turned it around in his hands.  _A coat?_   he wondered and turned to see another coat.

He looked up and saw that the coats were all hanging on some kind of wood frame.  _Those are very odd trees,_  he mused to himself as he moved forward into what must have been some kind of fur tree and heard a sudden thud. His hooves were hitting a wooden surface. Snow had disappeared _. This must be a house,_  he told himself as he walked farther in through the fur coats to the source of the light that had drawn him to the strange tree. He went to the door and pushed it open, finding himself falling onto a wooden floor.

Tumnus stared at the floor and then looked up to see an empty room. He got up, still looking around, and saw a huge and beautifully caved wardrobe behind him with the fur coats he had walked passed moments ago. He heard tapping on the window. He walked over to see drops of water running down the pane of glass.  _Is this rain?_   He gazed at the drops; he couldn't remember the last time he had seen rain, it was refreshing to see something other than snow falling from sky _. Is this Space Oom?_  he wondered as he continued to watchthe rain.

"Ready or not, here I come!"

Tumnus jumped at the sudden male voice coming from the outside the door. Tumnus Get away from the window look at the door where.  _That must be Lucy Pevenise's brother._   Tumnus went to the door but stopped almost immediately. Lucy didn't know what a faun was, the other children might be frightened by his appearance. He wrapped his red scarf to cover his horns and ears, then he ran back to the wardrobe, grabbing a long brown coat to hide his furry legs.

Tumnus opened the door, which led to a hallway.  _This must be a very big house,_ he told himself before walking down the hall and a flight of stairs that led to another hallway. He came to a curtain and heard a small thump. He stopped to look at where the sound had come from. "Hello?" he said but whatever was behind it had stop moving. He pulled back the curtain to find a Son of Adam staring back at him.

The boy couldn't have been much older than Lucy, and he had the same button nose and big eyes. However, his eyes were a lot darker, as was his hair, and his face was not as friendly as Lucy's. He looked at Tumnus as he smelled something foul, and his dark eyes were filled with disgust. Although, a moment later the boy wanted to laugh at what he saw: a funny looking man with horns in his hair sticking out of the red scarf on his head and wearing a woman's coat in the middle of summer. There were many things the kid wanted to say to the man and none of them were piratically very nice.     

Tumnus was about to ask him who he was, when he heard footsteps and turned to see another Son of Adam come from around the corner. This boy looked older then the one behind the curtain and had fair hair like Lucy, but he didn't seem as cheerful as Lucy. He walked to them, causing the young boy to sigh and step out from behind the curtain, sneering at Tumnus.

"Hello, sir," the older boy greeted him, in a much kinder matter than the younger boy had. "Are you a friend of the Professor's?" he asked.

"The Professor must have a lot of queer friends," the younger boy remarked, smiling.

"Ed!" the older boy said, staring down at the little boy before turning to Tumnus. "I'm sorry, my little brother likes to speak before he thinks," he stated, again sending a stern look towards the younger boy.

"It's alright if the boy finds me odd," Tumnus told the boys, causing them to turn their attention to him, "and no, I know nothing about a Professor, I'm…" he stopped himself, unsure how to explain his mission just yet. "I'm not from here. Anyway, are you Lucy Pevensie's brothers?" Tumnus asked while addressing both.

"Yes, I'm Peter, and this is Edmund," Peter told him, as Edmund tried to cover his smile. "How do you about our sister? Is she alright?" he asked.

"She probably went outside in the rain, I bet she got locked out and started crying like a baby because no one will let her in," Edmund said as he burst into laughter. "I bet when someone finally does, the old hag will have to spank her for-"

"Oh, would you just stop," Peter interrupted causing Edmund to stop laughing. "You think it's funny if Lucy has gotten herself into some kind of trouble?" he added while Tumnus lowered his head. There was no telling what they'd think when they learned just how much real trouble their sister was in because of his actions.

"It will serve her right, she always was a crybaby when she didn't get her way, she deserves to know what it's like to have a paddle hitting her for once!" Edmund said back. It was clear to Tumnus that he was nothing like his sister and almost wondered if he would care that something bad was happening to Lucy or would just laugh about it; surely the boy wouldn't be happy about his sister's predicament.

"Lucy doesn't cry to get her way, she only gets upset, and heaven knows she has reason to be after all those times you went out of your way to hurt her!" Peter argued, and Tumnus wasn't sure if the boys knew he was still there.

"Peter, Edmund, I need know; is Lucy your only sister?"

"I don't treat her that badly!" Edmund fired back at Peter, ignoring Tumnus's question.

"Oh, really? What about all those times I saw you shoving her to the ground or pulling her hair just for the fun of it? And don't think I've forgotten about that time you locked her in the bomb shelter and kept banging on the door saying you were a German soldier coming to take her away," Peter spat angrily.

"I was playing with her, it's not my fault she thought it was real!" Edmund said, almost laughing.

"Edmund, I spend five hours calming her, and Susan told me she still had trouble sleeping that night!" Peter continued arguing with his brother, causing Tumnus to feel out of place.

 _Maybe I shouldn't tell them why I'm here,_   he told himself. Though, he still needed another Daughter of Eve if they were to be truly part of prophecy, but the more he watched them the less he was convinced they would help bring an end to the Witch's Reign.

"Will you-" Edmund started.

"Stop it!" said another voice, and the boys turned to watch as a young girl entered the hall. She looked about as old as Peter and resembled the two brothers with a similar eye color to Peter and wearing the same shade of raven black hair that Edmund had. Tumnus smiled for she was clearly their other sister. "You don't want the Macready, to find you two starting an uproar, she might..." she stopped at the sight of what she thought was a man wearing a long fur coat and a scarf on his head, not knowing what else to do besides stare. "Hello," she said politely, "is there something we can help you with?"

"Yes, I'm correct in assuming that you are their sister?" Tumnus asked looking at the puzzled girl.

"I'm one of their sisters; I'm Susan, why do you ask?" Susan wondered, staring at the strange man along with her two brothers.

"I came here to find the three of you," he said causing the children even more confusion. "My name is Tumnus. I'm a Faun from a country called Narnia, and I met your sister just yesterday in the woods. I invited her to my cave where we had tea and cake and talked for hours…" Tumnus stopped as his guilt came back with full force. How could he tell them that he was responsible for turning over their sister? They may not trust him if they knew he meant to send her to the Witch. "Lucy ended up falling asleep and I picked her up to take her home, but this wolf named Maugrim forced me to hand her over to him. He took her to this evil witch who calls herself a queen and is keeping your sister prisoner. She may be coming after you. Trust me, I will do anything to save your sister, but I needed to find you three and have you come with me where you'll be safe from the Witch."

Tumnus finished, leaving the three children bewildered at the word of someone who was still a very strange man. Although, Edmund was more delighted in the crazy story, and thought of more nasty things to say about him. He could hardly contain his laughter. He leaned over to Susan, saying, "This man is a real lunatic, I bet he's really a reject from the Curious," he whispered to her.

"Shh, it's not polite to call someone those names, especially when they are standing right in front of you. You wouldn't want to upset him," Tumnus heard her whisper back, but it was clear she agreed with her brother.

"I assure you, your sister is in grave danger, and if you don't come with me now, your sister and all of Narnia will be lost," Tumnus cried, but the children still gave him looks of disbelief, causing him to miss the awe and wonder found in Lucy's eyes.

"Well, Tumnus sir, it is nice of you to humor our sister, but I think we can handle her from here on," Peter told him, before he and his siblings turned the other way.

"No, this isn't some kind of joke!" Tumnus went after them, and they turned at the sound of his hooves. "I really met sister under a lamp post yesterday, and she really is in danger!" he said firmly.

"But it is not possible for you to have met Lucy yesterday. Since we have been here, she hasn't been out of our sight, that is, until now, but it has only been ten minutes since she was in the bedroom with us," Susan stated, causing Tumnus a little confusion.

"Look, I know nothing about how time works here, but I can prove to you that I am not from Spare Oom," Tumnus said before removing his red scarf from his head and taking off the fur coat, showing off his goat ears and goat legs. You can be sure that three siblings were speechless, not even Edmund could think of a clever remark.

"Well, I guess that explains the horns," Peter finally commented while scratching the back of his head. "Where did you say Lucy is being held?" he added, his voice deeper, making him seem more than just a young boy of thirteen.

"Follow me," Tumnus said before turning and going back into the room with what apparently was a wardrobe or a gateway between Narnia and Spare Oom. The three children followed him and were at once struck dumb upon finding that he was leading them to a wardrobe. "Come on."

"A wardrobe?" Susan said quietly.

"I told you the faun was a lunatic," Edmund decided.

"Oh, come on, Lucy is in danger," Peter said leading the other two into the wardrobe, out of Space Oom and into Narnia.


	6. Chapter 6

_Lucy stood in the middle of circle trees, all cover with snow, just like when she came into this world. Yet the snow didn’t seem to have any shine to it, like the snow she saw on her first day. This snow looked a little gray like ash, that took away any life that had been in the trees._

_She walked over to one of the trees and touch a branch of a pine tree, watching as the snow stuck to the branches, trapping the pine needle. All she could do was let go and stared at the other trees. Why is the snow still sticking? Lucy lask herself before noticing more snow falling on her. She tries to brush it off, but the more the ashy snow covered her._

_Lucy runs to the nearest tree and curls up in a little ball. Watch trees around her wilt. Same trees fell to the ground. Lucy hugs her knee tighter. She sobs as the land which was once lovely and majestic was being replaced with deadly snow that deranged the trees of their life._

_Her tear flowed, how could this place become like this. Lucy asked herself as she buried her face into her knees not to look at the dead trees. Right at that moment, she could feel the snow coming over her causing to cough uncontrollably until she could barely breathe and she found herself on laying on the ground wheezing, unsure of how much longer she could take the cold._

_“Rrroooaaar” Lucy heard as she regains control and sits up gasped as she found the snow had disappeared and the pine tree that had once wilted, were now standing striate. The trees that had fallen were picking themselves up with their roots and finding a place to stay and sprout leaves. Lucy could hardly contain her laughter as she ran toward the trees._

_“Meow” She stops and turned to see an organ cat rubbing agent her. She gasped seeing that the cat was more twice her size and she could a smile on his face as he purred. It didn’t sound like the kind of purr from any house pet, it sounds more music to Lucy. She was amazed and reached out her hand to pet him and the cat took off toward behind the trees and looked back Lucy with a play grin._

_Lucy ran toward the cat and once she reaches him, they ran and played to together through the woods. As she ran with him the world changed from the winter wasteland to one with green fields and trees that danced while Lucy was at in awe at all she turns to the yellow cat who had gotten bigger his fur shine in the sun and she saw that was more than a cat._

Lucy opens her eyes to a lifeless prison cell and lowers her eyes to the icy floor beneath her. A few tears fell as she grabs her empty stomach and moves her ankles, which were num from the heavy chains.

Lucy looked at the bars in front of her, she had spent hours staring and every moment she could see them coming closer. She turned to the sailing, where icicles hang above her, it wouldn’t be long before they touch the ground.

The little girl started sniffling and rubbed the tears off her face. Not knowing how long it had since she left her own world. _They’ve searched the whole house for me,_ she tells herself imagining Peter staying up at night waiting to hear her from the hall. Susan searching fanatically through the mansion for any sign of her, and Edmund…well, Lucy wasn’t sure what he would do, after all, he hadn’t been very nice since he starts that horrible school, but that didn’t stop Lucy chest from aching.

 _I have to get go out of here,_ she thinks before lifting herself up and tries to stand up, but its hard to since her ankles were num from chains. Causing the girl to stumble and feel her palms hitting the ice-cold floor. Lucy set up to look at chains bolted to the wall and turns to her little hands, then back to the chains.

She picks her hands up and grabbed hold of what she hoped was the weak link and pulled as hard as she could, which wasn’t hard, with the pain in hands and the lack of food in her stomach, she barely had the strength to pick up the chains let alone pull. However, Lucy didn’t like to stay in one place forever long and the thought of what worries she caused them. She couldn’t bear being in close prison when there was a whole world outside waiting for her _. Maybe if I pull a little harder._

She tightens her grip on the chains and lends back pulling as hard as she could until her hands turned purple. She then let go and fell to the on her side and once feeling the ice agents her check _. She an awful Queen to keep me away from them_ Lucy tells herself holding her beating hands, which were unable to wipe away her tears.

_“Peace my child, help will come soon.”_

Lucy tears stop at the calm voice, the same one she heard on her first night and everything she time she found herself in tears. The voice sounds strong and gentle all at once making Lucy forget about her num ankles and beating hands and even her worried family. For the voice seem to make her fears disappear and brought her back to when she stepped through the wardrobe into the world outside the prison she was in now, but the voice made her feel warm although she wraps in brothers and sister arm or playing in the green field with the cat from her dream. It all put a smile. _I’ll see my siblings again._ She tells herself.

*click*

“uh” Lucy sit up hearing someone walk. She moves to the wall, feeling her heart race at the thought of who might be coming. Mostly hope it wasn’t the Queen growing tired of having her sitting around down here. Lucy pulls her legs to her cheats listening to the feet close in on her person. She tightens her to grab on her legs, for it was certain to be her last moments.

Soon Lucy sees one of the dwarfs put down a tray and pulling out a set key while mumble word under his breath. He unlocks the barred door and kind of wobble his way into the cell with the tray still mumbling word that most mothers wouldn’t want their children to say or hear.

The little girl releases her legs watching the dwarfs assets the tray of dry bread and water next to her. She saw his pinch up nose and narrow eyes which remind of the look Edmund had when they got on the train for the professor.

The dwarf did not seem cold as the Queen or as naughty as the other dwarf who liked to spite on Lucy and ask if the little human was sad, and asked to miss her family in a way that told Lucy that anything but sympathy for her. But this didn’t spit and mock, he just places food and drinks by Lucy and without looking at her. It was as though giving her food was just what he did and nothing more, which was good for Lucy’s sake.  

The dwarf turn wobbled back to the cell door, but as he didn’t see where his feet were going and stubbed his toe into the side of one bar of the cell.

“Ow,” the dwarf grabs his foot and hops on the other and yell more curse that causes Lucy to laugh a little at the sight. The dwarf looks at her “What are you laughing at?”

“Sorry, I just thought it was funny,” Lucy says feeling bad even if he did look writer silly, “Are you alright?”

“That is not your censure, human. I should wipe you right now for laugh at me.” The dwarf put his hand on a wipe.

Lucy put lags to her chest hugs them as tight as she can and ducks her head. Expecting a sharp pain any moment, it wouldn’t be the first time one felt her skin burn from the wipe, through it always the other dwarf the hitting.

 _Oh please, don’t let hits be worst the other dwarf, I’m not sure if I can handle it._ Lucy hugged her knee feeling every inch of her body was on edge and squid eyes so tight she could feel tear burning her face.

The dwarf held the wipe in hand and pulled it back right to strike. But he stops and looks at the helpless child and sighs. Then wines up the wipe and putting it back on his belt. “It won’t be long before my Queen take care of you soon enough, you ragged human” he gnarls.

Lucy opens her eyes and hears the bared slam shut. She looks up watching the dwarf walk away from the prison. A little confused on why he decided to walk away, not that she wasn’t relieved that he did, it just a little odd since the other guards and dwarf would hit without hesitating.

 _He must not be like the others here,_ she tells herself feeling sorrier for the poor dwarf and almost wishing he would come back and tell how much time has passed or maybe he knew away. Not that he would tell her, _but maybe if not as cruel as the others, maybe he the help that will get me out of here._

She wasn’t sure if he was the help the voice said would come. She didn’t if would every leave that cell, but the calming voice, that seems to come from her heart, told her that she’ll be rescued, and Lucy wasn’t the kind of child to lose hope of salvation. There way out of the castle and back to Peter, Susan, and Edmund, there just had to be.

 _I’ll see them again._ Lucy looks down at the brand and water, she picked up the stall brand and started chewing. It almost tasted like ashes in Lucy's mouth but is just it was the toast with sardines she had with Mr. Tumnus making it easier to chew _._


End file.
